15 Years of Public Radio!
Lakeshore Public Media - 89.1FM, initially known as The Lakeshore 89.1FM, followed by Lakeshore Public Radio, and now Lakeshore Public Media – 89.1FM, first hit the airwaves across Northwest Indiana on January 19, 2009. The station was created after Lakeshore Public Media’s Board of Directors saw the need for localized news and cultural coverage.
The station began with locally-produced programs like Lakeshore This Morning and Lakeshore Drive, targeting residents during their commuting hours. These unique programs provided much-needed news, weather, traffic, and sports reports focused on Northwest Indiana.
In the first years of Lakeshore Public Radio, we broadcasted 300+ hours of sporting events annually, including Gamenight, which continues to air during every high school football season.
“It is hard to believe we have served Northwest Indiana for 15 years! All those years ago (in 2009), we wanted to be a beacon in a sea of Chicago news, for Northwest Indiana. 15-years later, through several branding changes, programming changes, and more, one thing still holds true: we are still here, and we are still serving Northwest Indiana. We could not do this without the invaluable support of our members, as well as the dedicated team here at Lakeshore Public Media. I am humbled and honored to continue to help us fulfill our mission.”
- Tom Maloney | Vice President of Radio Operations
Keeping Northwest Indiana residents informed on local politics was another early goal of the station. We continue to spotlight Northwest Indiana politics to this day, especially around primary and general election periods.
In May of 2014, Lakeshore Public Radio made a dynamic shift by bringing in NPR’s Morning Edition and later expanding our NPR programming with All Things Considered. These programs continue to bring stories and reports to listeners from NPR reporters and correspondents based throughout the U.S. and the world, while also providing localized breaks that give us the opportunity to share news, weather, traffic, and sports.
In June of 2015, Tom Maloney was promoted to Vice President of Radio Operations, heralding a new era of collaborations with the League of Women Voters, Valparaiso University, The Welcome Project, South Shore Clean Cities, and many others. Since this time, the station has also strengthened its relationship with the Indiana Public Broadcasting Service (IPBS), which benefits the Region through greater access to the statewide news coverage. There have also been numerous improvements to infrastructure, including a new radio antenna that was installed in summer 2023.
Our new President and CEO, Chuck Roberts, alongside the 15-year Radio Veteran, Tom Maloney, look forward to the continued growth of the radio services that Lakeshore Public Media provides to an ever-expanding audience across Northwest Indiana and Chicagoland.
Come celebrate 15 years of public radio in Northwest Indiana at this business after-hours event at Lakeshore Public Media Studios! Enjoy food and beverages while chatting with Lakeshore team members and getting behind-the-scenes tours of the station. This is also a great opportunity to network with some of Northwest Indiana's community members, leaders, and entrepreneurs.